Fence



(No Model.)

A. BROCK.

FENCE,

No. 321,576. Eatented July 7, 1.885L

3 p l a, 2 1

r l /l/ nu. nu, mmm vll/summum Nrren Srarns artnr @trici-L ADALINE BROCK, OF DUNELLEN, NEWT JERSEY.

FENCE.

SPECIFECATIQN forming part of Letters Patent Nvo. 321,576, dated July 7, 1885.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Dunellen, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fences; and l hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that kind of fence in which the rails are composed of a series of short lengths of wood connected at their ends by links or couplings, so as to make a flexible chain-like rail which will yield at any point and in any direction under pressure, and thereby throw the strain into a longitudinal direction when pressure is brought to bear upon the fence.

The object of my improvement is to provide means whereby the links or couplings may be readily attached and detached, so that the fence can readily and easily be put together at the place where it is being erected, and can be readily taken apart for convenience in transportation, the construction being such that the fence when put together is flexible, both vertically and horizontally, or at any angle between the two, and will yield under pressure brought to bear upon it from any direction, so that a very strong and durable fence can be made from comparatively very light timber. In order to do this, I make the ends of adjoining lengths to slightly overlap each other and conneet the same by means of links, which embrace both the adjoining ends, and are held either in transverse grooves cut in each length near its extreme end or are passed over pins or staples driven into saidlengths. By this means the several lengths are inseparably connected when the fence is stretched, but may be readily disconnected when the fence is slackened, and,in addition to this, the fence can be more easily and quickly constructed, and is also stronger than it would be if the adjoining lengths were pivoted together inline with each other, as the overlapping ends bear against each other when pressure is brought to bear upon them; and another advantage gained by this construction is that the pivot-pins cannot eut through the ends of the lengths when sub jected to undue strain, as is the casein fences of this hind heretofore made.

My invention consists in a fence-rail constructed as hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims hereof.

In the accompanying drawings,Figurelrep resents a portion of a fence with my improvement, and Figs. 2 to l0, inclusive, represent modifications of the mode of connecting adjoining lengths according to my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the gures.

A may represent a fence-post of any suitable kind. BBBare myimproved rails, composed of short lengths a c of wood. These lengths in my improvement slightly overlap each other at their ends, as shown, and are connected together by links C, of suitable metal or material, which embrace the ends of adjoining lengths c a', and are fixed in position when the rails are stretched either by being litted into transverse grooves I) cut in the several lengths or by being passed over suitable pins or staples, c, driven into the lengths cc. These links are separate and detachable from the lengths c c', except as hereinafter described. The rails B may be drawn through mortises in the posts A, as shown at (l, or nailed to the posts, as at d, or they may be attached thereto by staples d2.

The main feature of my improvement consists in the mode of connecting the adjoininglengths c c by means of detachable links G 'passed over and embracing the slightly-overlapping ends of the lengths c a', as above mentioned, and substantially as shown in the drawings. Thus constructed the rails B are perfectly flexible in every direction, and each length bears against its adjoining length when under pressure coming from any direction laterally. The lengths cc may be of small rough timber, such as brush-wood, or of dressed lumber, either square or round, as indicated by the shading in the several figures, and their ends may either be 'sawed oft square, asin Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, or cut slanting, as in Fig. 6; or they may be somewhat rounded, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, to permit the adjoining surfaces to slide smoothly over and adapt themselves to each other when lateral pressure is brought to bear upon the fence.

In Figs. lando one end of the link is secured byastaple to one of thelcngths c or af, and the other end of said staple passed over a pin on the adjoining length, which arrangement is used for the purpose of preventing the lengths from becoming separated in cases Where it is necessary to float the rails into position by the side of or across a stream of Water.

In Fig. 8 is shown a modification which is specially applicable when squared lumber is used, in which the adjoining lengths are in line with each other, and their ends made slanting by curved lines, so that although the lengths are in line with each other the one bears against the other when lateral pressure is brought to bear upon them, and said lengths are connected by an einbracinglink and pins, as in the other cases. These several modifications I deem to be substantial equivalents, as they each and all embody the same principle of construction, having overlapping ends and being connected by a detachable link, Which embraces both. The links may be solid links, as shown in Fig. 9, or they may be of Wire, having its ends twisted together, as shown in Fig. 10.

I do not claim,broadly,a fence-rail composed of a series of short lengths pivoted together at their ends; nor do I claim a fence-rail composed of a series of short lengths in line with each other and having beveled ends connected together by means of interposed links, the distinguishing feature of this improvement being that the ends of adjoining lengths overlap each other and bear against each other under lateral pressure, thereby partly removing the strain from the links and adding materially t0 the strength or resistance of the rail.

What I claim as my invention isl. Afence-rail composed of aseries of short lengths of Wood connected together by detach able links, as shown and described, the adj oining ends of said lengths made to overlap each other, and said links made to embrace both of said adjoining ends, so that the latter bear against each other when subjected to lateral pressure, as set forth.

2. In a ilexible Wooden fence, the combination rof the lengths a a, having pins or staples c, driven into their ends, with a detachable link, G, embracing the slightly overlapping ends of said lengths, and a supporting-post, A, the Whole constructed as shown and described.

ADALINE BROCK.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. VAN WINKLE, JEREMIAH VAN WINKLE. 

